First-aid kit



A11g- 31 1948- E. M. vcAlvnEaELL.

FIRST AID KIT Filed Jan. 2e, 1945 Patented Aug. 31, 1948 PATENT .lorries1 FIRST-AIDKI'I` Edmund M.'Camlpb.erll, PttsburghPa., assigner to `MineSafety- Appliances Company, Pittsburgh,.Pa;,' a corporationofPennsylvana 'Applicationalanuary Y26, 1945, Serial-No. 574,761 sc'iaims.. (C1. .22e-50)' Thi's.invention -r\e1atestoe1rstaid kits,..andA more particularly-to fthosefkits in each-ofwhich theitems ofylirsttaid.-are packaged in anplurality offlightfboxes, generally of-,uniform lengthand breadth, and commonly referred 5:to asnunitcontainers. .y

l I tisamongthe-objects of-.this-inventionvto pro'-A videalfirstflaid:kit whichv has any outerY case that can-be v,p .ermanently 'attachedtoya support, which. has aportable unit removablyhousedin the casa. and in-Which'.. rstfa-id' Vunit containers are clamped Ainqthe portable unitvin Ysuch amanner thatfas individual boxes .are removedthe remain-- ingboxes.remain.cIamped-inpJaCe.. A

. accordance with. thisinvention ag -frameg is providedwhichlhasfspacedend walls andan open side. The end walls maybe substantially; parallel;plates .that iare -spacedapart-by.'v side members at` threev sideswofthewframe. Between/the. endsaofi' the frame -is an'intermediate member,`sn'ohfasza@y plate substantially-parallelftothe end plates; that ismovable back and forth between them. This: movable plate fis. held-i-nftheframee and l.guided therein by means ofthe'side members. Themovable plateis constantly urgedtoward one-ofthe end Walls of the frameso kasto enable it tofclarnp: betweennitselff.' and that wall. a stackor row of first-aid boxes each containing one or more items of firstaid. Preferably, `two opposite side members of the frame are in the formof channels in 'which are disposed coil springs that are connected tothe clamping plate and to the end wall toward which it is biased. Whenit becomes necessaryl-to use one of thefirst-aid boxes'it4 can*4beremoved from the frame by.-- merely pullingit outlfof ltheopen side ofthe. frame. The :springs thenlwill move the clampingplate -to takeup-the space leftlby the removedbox,whereby therest olthe boxes againrwill be `clamped in the frame. It! is .preferred that the springsv not,be-nicapable ofi-moving the clamping plate allgthef way to the end ofthe frame, so after several of the boxes have been removed from theframe the plate will no longer clamp the rest in position. This makes itnecessary to replace the used boxes before the frame has been completelyemptied. The top of the frame is provided with a handle to permit it tobe lowered into an open top container which has a closure for making itwatertight. This case is adapted to be permanently mounted in anydesired location. When an accident occurs requiring first aid, the caseis opened and the frame with the first-aid boxes therein lifted from itand carried to the scene of the accident.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theAaccompanying rdrawings in which Fig. 1 is aside view of the framelledwith first-aid' boxes and sealed in a case vshown .in

vertical section,y and Fig.' 2 is a perspective viewr of'lthe framealone. y

Referring to'Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, a water.-

tight` case is formed from a rectangular container Vhavi'ng an open`upper.endnormally 'closedby aY removable -flanged cover 2.. VThe coverisy provide.d.'interiorly with .a .rubber sealing. gasket; .3jtliatrestsrcn top of the. container and is. held..

between the cover .angeand a angedlmember 4` attached to the. lowersurfacef the.Y cover..

Although the covermay be clampedlonthe. con.. tainer, in any suitableymanner, itispreferredto.

use. a. toggle-'like clamp. of. well .known construe tion atv each end..The linkl ofoneof. these clamps is, pivotally connected.. to a rrhook-1'- mounted on one end' of the closureand-bent over the 4top of thelink. to permanently.. connectthe The case may be provided with;h anysuitable meansfor. .rigidlymounting, itorr a.l support, `such as,onthe-v body of v a` vehicle.

It isma feature of thisinvention that aplurality of rst-.aid ...boxes1.2.1 containing compresses. bandages, iodine, .ammoniainhalanta etc'.,-are housedin the, case infsuch'nraemanneras to-be removable therefromasanportableunitl Forthispurpose alframeis .removably disposed inthecase;`

This frame has upper and lower end walls-formed from Arrectangularyplates l 3.1and `Hlthat are tspaced bers 'Ilat the opposite-endsfofztheplates .preferably are in the form of channels welded to the endplates with their flanges projecting inwardly toward each other. Betweenthese two channels the rear edges of the plates are connected by a thirdside member Il which may be a flat strip of metal having its ends bentover the end plates and welded thereto. The upper plate may be providedwith a notch I8 through which this member extends, but the lower plateis shown naorrwer than the upper one and therefore without a notch.Channels I6 are spaced just far enough apart to permit the first-aidboxes to be inserted between them and moved back against member I1.

Onthe' Between the ends walls of the frame there is an intermediate orclamping plate that is movable up and down in the frame. This plate isheld in the frame by providing its ends with pairs of notches 2| forloosely receiving the flanges of channels I6. The back of the platelikewise may be provided with a slot or notch 22 through which the rearside member I1 extends. The side members thus guide the clamping platein its vertical movements. Disposed in each channel is a coil spring 23:for urging the clamping plate toward one end of the frame. Preferably,the springs are above this plate with their upper ends connected to topplate I3 and their lower ends connected to tongues 24 integral with theclamping plate and projecting into channels I6. These springs lift theclamping plate toward the top plate. By pressing the clamping platedownwardly a stack of first-aid boxes l2 can be placed on it, and whenthe plate is released the springs will cause it to press the boxes upagainst the top plate of the frame, whereby the boxes are held in placeby the clamping action of the two plates. The top plate is provided witha folding handling 26, and the entire unit ts snugly inside of the case.

`When an accident occurs requiring first-aid treatment, the case isopened and the frame with the rst-aid boxes therein is lifted by itshandle from the container I and carried to the scene of theaccident. Theboxes containing the desired items of first aid are then pulled out ofthe frame through its open front side, and the springs immediately raisethe clamping plate so that it will continue to clamp the remaining boxesagainst the top plate. If any useful material is left in the boxes thatwere removed, they can be replaced in the frame by merely moving theclamping plate downwardly to make room for them. It is preferred thatthe springs lift the clamping plate only about half way up the, frame,as shown in Fig. 2, so that when the plate reaches that level it nolonger will clamp boxes in the frame. This is desirable because itforcefullyV calls attention to thelfact that half of the boxes have beenused up and the frame should therefore be restocked with new boxes assoon as possible in order to replenish the kit.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained theprinciple and construction of my invention vand have illustrated anddescribed what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However,I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specificallyillustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A first-aid kit comprising substantially parallel end members, a pairofoppositely disposed side channels spacing the end members apart, aplate between and substantially parallel to said end 4 members andmovable back and forth between them, oppositely disposed edges of saidplate being provided with pairs of notches for loosely receiving theflanges of said channels to slidably retain the plate between thechannels, a side Vmember connected to edge portions of said end memberssubstantially ,midway between said channels, another edge of the platebeing provided with a notch for loosely receiving said side member, andcoil springs disposed in said channels with their ends connected to oneof said end members and to said plate to clamp between said end memberand plate a stack of first-aid boxes removable from between saidchannels away from said side member.

2. A rst-aid kit comprising substantiallyl parallel end plates, a pairof oppositely disposed side members spacing said plates apart andconnected to two opposite edge portions thereof, a third side member,connected to edge portions of the plates between said opposite edgeportions, a clamping plate between and substantially parallel to saidend plates and provided with openings for loosely receiving allthree'side members to slidably retainV the clamping plate in position,springs pulling the clamping plate toward one of said end plates toclamp between said one end plate and clamping plate a stack of rst-aidboxes removable from between said pair of side members away from saidthird side member, and a handle attached to one of the end plates forlifting the kit.

3. A first-aid kit comprising substantially parallel end members, a pairof oppositely disposed side members spacing the end members apart-andeach being provided with a pair of spaced substantially parallelflanges, a plate between and substantially parallel to said end membersand movable back and forth between them, the plate having tongueportions projecting between said spaced flanges, coil springs betweensaid spaced iianges with their ends connected to said tongue portionsand to one of said end members to clamp between said end member andplate a stack of rst-aid boxes removable from between said side members,and a handle attached to one of the end plates for lifting the kit.

. EDMUND M. CAMPBELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 'Name Date 416,042 Smith et al NOV. 26,1889 551,692 Schmidt Dec. 17, 1895 1,009,047 Capitain Nov. 21, 19111,902,239 Holdgrafer Mar. 21, 1933 1,944,075 Gaisman Jan. 16, 19342,205,664 Davis July 2, 1940 2,251,876 Gibbs Aug. `5, 1941

